The motion seeks also to ensure that they are given the same protection by law enforcement and international security forces as other ethnic groups and that they be entitled to proper representation and participation in all levels of government.
The Iraqi-Assyrian community is made up of remnants of the people of ancient Mesopotamia, succeeding the Sumero-Akkadians and the Babylonians as one continuous civilisation. This ancient civilisation, which has existed since 2000 BC, has one of the oldest Christian traditions in the world; it dates back to the first century. Their language, Aramaic, the language of Jesus, is taught in their churches and used in Assyrian cultural celebrations, such as the New Year celebrations held each year on 1 April of our Gregorian calendar.
The member for Prospect made reference, quite rightly, to former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey. He publicised his views early this year and stated his concern that the Assyrian people of Iraq face extinction. Lord Carey said:
In recent months and years, churches and monasteries have been attacked and people have been killed. We are talking about terrible atrocities which would undermine any community.
It is fairly well known to all of us who have an interest in this area that the ChaldoAssyrian peoples have endured almost a history of persecution and suffering. But, despite these atrocities, it is heartening to see that the ChaldoAssyrian people of Iraq have united recently under the political representation of the Assyrian Democratic Movement, whose leader, Yunadam Kanna, was elected to the Iraqi National Assembly in that country’s first democratic elections, in January this year. Yunadam Kanna and his party were widely supported and have wide support, I understand, amongst the Iraqi Australians who voted in this historic election.
The current draft constitution of Iraq officially recognises the ChaldoAssyrian minority within Iraq and recognises them as ChaldoAssyrians. This name was adopted in October 2003 at the ChaldaenAssyrian General Conference in Baghdad as a sign of unity amongst ChaldoAssyrian people, who now hope that the new constitution will formally recognise a self-administered area in the Nineveh plain for the ChaldoAssyrian community to exist peacefully and free of persecution.
It is important that the practice of ancient customs, language and traditions be maintained and that all minority groups in Iraq be allowed freedom of expression and freedom of religion. It is the ancient traditions of the ChaldoAssyrians that formed the foundation of contemporary Iraqi society. Despite the diversity of faith amongst the Christian and Muslim Iraqis, they still share a common cultural and linguistic heritage, with Aramaic and Syriac being the foundations of the Arabic language. It is these commonalities that unite the people of Iraq and hopefully will continue to bring them together as they move into the future as a democratic political state.
In my electorate of Calwell, the ChaldoAssyrian community has embraced the unified name now identified and they are operating as a united people under one flag with one anthem. Recently, at the 1 April celebrations for the New Year’s festival, I was able to see this new-found unity, with the community coming together to assist each other as they make Australia their new home. The ChaldoAssyrian community is thriving in Australia. They often tell me—as I am sure they tell others of us who here represent members of that community in our electorates—that they feel privileged and lucky to be living in Australia. It is also to our benefit as a country that we are able to share and learn from their rich and ancient traditions as they continue to make their mark on and their contribution to our multicultural landscape.
However, my constituents, although happy to live here, still remain very interested in and concerned about events back home in Iraq. Of particular concern are the welfare and safety of members of their families and friends who have been left behind. Like the ChaldoAssyrian community in the electorate of Calwell, I hope—and I know it is the hope of everyone in this chamber—that the ChaldoAssyrian people in Iraq will soon enjoy the recognition, protection and representation sought by this motion.
